ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Interior will take up on Tuesday (tomorrow) two separate bills seeking enhancement of sentences in corruption cases.

Besides, the committee will receive a briefing by the head of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on the working and progress of his department.

The committee headed by Rana Shamim Ahmed Khan of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had called the FIA head to the meeting to brief it on “pending and closed cases” in the last 10 years as well as the cases registered and investigated over the past five years, according to the agenda issued for the meeting by the National Assembly Secretariat.

The committee will also review two bills protecting the rights of the children and seeking prohibition of children’s employment.

Both the bills seeking enhancement in the sentence in corruption cases had been introduced in the National Assembly as private member’s bills by Jamaat-i-Islami members. Through the bills, the JI members have sought amendments to the Prevention of the Corruption Act, 1947.

One bill had been introduced by Aliya Kamran whereas the other had jointly been tabled by Sher Akbar Khan, Sahibzada Muhammad Yaqub, Sahibzada Tariqullah and Aisha Syed.

Through the bill, the four JI members have suggested that the sentence to a public servant for committing “criminal misconduct” by accepting or attempting to obtain “gratification” be enhanced from “seven years” to “10 years, but not less than seven years”.

The movers have also sought amendments to Sections 5-B and 5-C of the

Act which authorise a provincial government to seek details of the assets from a public servant on receipt of information that the said public servant possesses assets beyond the known sources of income.

On the other hand, Aliya Kamran of the JI, through her bill, has suggested that the jail term for a public servant found guilty of receiving gratification or bribe be increased from the existing seven years to 14 years.

Published in Dawn, September 18th, 2017